


Avenger's Meeting

by ThePandoricaWillOpen



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Avenger Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Deaf Clint Barton, Gen, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Protective Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 01:51:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7413883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePandoricaWillOpen/pseuds/ThePandoricaWillOpen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They still had things to work out, lots of things to talk about, lots of feelings to explore, lots of adventures to go one, fights to fight and bad guys to stop. Bucky gave Steve a warm smile and thought I’m finally home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Avenger's Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Pietro is still alive and Clint is deaf because that's the way it should be.  
> I don't know much about hearing aids so correct me if I got anything wrong.

If it wasn’t so inappropriate, Bucky would tackle Steve to the ground and kiss him like his life depended on it. But they weren’t alone. And their relationship wasn’t fixed yet. They still had things to work out, lots of things to talk about, lots of feelings to explore if only Bucky would let Steve bring up the topic.

The Avengers were supposed to be assemble for a day long meeting or something, Bucky wasn’t sure, and they had only just decided to take a lunch break. Like always, Steve had decided to wolf down his high caloric lunch and then head down to the gym to train with Natasha. Bucky had tried to protest, sitting around their shared living space flipping through Steve’s old sketchbooks, but Steve was stubborn. God only knew what he did down there with Nat that always put him in such a good mood. Bucky didn’t want to start to imagine, he didn’t want to feel jealous that Steve would rather train with Nat than his oldest friend in the world. He wasn’t jealous, he promised.

After Steve left, FRIDAY announced that the Avengers wanted him to join their meeting after lunch. He still freaked out a little when the AI talked - _ any normal person would, Steve! It’s not just me! _ \- and this was no exception. Good thing he’d down the glass of water or else Steve’s sketches would’ve been turned into watercolor paintings. He thanked FRIDAY nonetheless, his mother didn’t raise a disrespectful boy, and wondered why Steve hadn’t just told him that before leaving.  _ Maybe training is more important than me, _ he thought idly as he took a deep breath and calmed his heartbeat. 

He decided to go down to the conference room early and wait for everyone to trickle in. It felt good to be included in Avenger meetings, even if most of the time he was left at HQ while the rest of them went off to save the world, or New York since it seemed to be the target of most alien invasions. He even got to hang out with Maria Hill once while the team went to Hell’s Kitchen to meet a guy who patrolled the area wearing a tight red suit with horns. There were some strange people living in New York nowadays. 

Maria had been really cool, trading stories with him about Cap Steve while he recalled Little Steve tales from their childhood. She reminded him of his sister, Becca. Intelligent, brave, outspoken and beautiful with that spark of danger in her eyes that said “don’t mess with me, this is my nice smile”. He briefly wondered if they might have been related, Becca and Maria, but decided it wouldn’t matter. Maria Hill was badass and could probably kick his ass back to the 1940’s if she wanted to and he was lucky to consider her a friend. A friend who he may or may not be just a tiny bit terrified and in awe of.

But most of the time, he was alone in Steve’s room, laying on his bed and breathing in his scent like some teen with a crush. He was a terrifying, world known assassin and here he was, cuddling Steve’s pillow. He had killed a president, had shaped the last century, and he couldn’t even sum up the courage to tell Steve that he was in love with him.

There was only one place he would admit it outloud and that was with his therapist, in his room, after an intense session. He also kept it in his recovery notebook, written in Romanian, where he wrote all of his memories as they came. He had nearly a dozen notebooks filled now, each page with different memories and thoughts. All of his doctors - a psychologist, psychiatrist, with one physical therapist -  encouraged him to tell Steve the truth, that it would help with his recovery. He knew that was true. But he grew up in the damn 20’s and 30’s. Men just didn’t talk about their feelings unless they had to, especially not to another fella. Besides, he’d tried once, after the first time that all three told him the same thing. They said it would make him feel lighter to get it off his chest, that maybe his arm would stop aching if he worked this issue out. But when confronted with Steve, he ended up saying, “Hey… you remember that one time we…”

He was a goddamn coward. And he knew it too.

He liked to watch Steve’s eyes light up whenever he recalled a memories. He liked the feel of Steve’s hand curled around his neck as he pulled him in for a hug. He liked the smile that made his eyes crinkle. He liked the outright, loud laughter that Steve reserved for him only. To the Avengers, Steve’s laugh was quiet, composed like Captain America was supposed to be. To Bucky, Steve’s laugh was loud, belching and usually accompanying a touch. Steve was different with Bucky, he liked that. Alot. 

His favourite thing about Steve’s laugh was when he threw his head back, his hand reaching up to touch his chest as he let out a belly laugh. He liked to correct Steve whenever they remembered things differently with Steve at his side laughing until he couldn’t protest anymore.

“Dontcha listen to this punk. This is how it really happen!” He would tell the Avengers, yelling over Steve’s howling. At first they would stare at Steve, amazed that a usually quiet Steve would be so loud, so lewd and so very different. Clint had commented on it once and Bucky had just told him, “I don’t know what Steve is like around you guys, but this is who I grew up with.”

It felt awesome to joke around with Steve’s friends, mess with their perceptions of Steve and correct them whenever they got something about him wrong. Like with coffee. Steve had always hated coffee, it was too bitter and it would always make his stomach hurt from the acidity. The coffee today wasn’t as bad but it left him in a bad mood. So after watching Sam serve Steve coffee and watching Steve’s nose crinkle slightly before taking it and thanking him, Bucky reached out and took it from his hands and then sat back down to eat his breakfast.

“You know you hate the stuff,” he said as he took a sip. Steve’s lips quirked in a smile and looked down at his scrambled eggs. 

“What?” Sam asked, looking between the two super soldiers. “You don’t like coffee?”

“Well, um,” Steve said rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks tinting pink.

“Hates the stuff,” Bucky interjected as Steve gave him another small smile, saving him from replying. “Asshole’s just too nice to say no.”

That had earned him a slap to the back of his head followed by a quick thankful smile. But from then on, Sam would pour Bucky a cup of coffee and Steve some organic orange juice in the morning. And every time they sat down to eat, sometimes Natasha joined other time Clint, Steve would always give Bucky a quick smile before taking his first sip of juice. It was the little things that made Bucky love Steve more and more as the days passed. 

But then there were other times. Times where he felt like he was grounded because he was dangerous. After the first few missions sitting at HQ, he’d tried to leave the building only to be stopped by FRIDAY. The mission after that, Maria appeared, conveniently having nothing to do that day. It didn’t take long to figure it out. Especially when it started happening more and more.

At first he thought they were being nice, trying to find ways to cope inside before being released into the general public. He had admitted to his psychologist early on that he felt unsure of the outside world what with HYDRA still operating in the shadows. He couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t be recognized, words triggered in his mind by an agent. He didn’t want to lose his independence, his individuality, his life again. He could hurt many people in a blink of an eye. He could do serious damage in just a few hours if the right person got ahold of his trigger words. If someone like Zemo… 

But, secluded as it was, the Tower was making him claustrophobic. And not being let outside was only adding to his anxiety. 

After the first few times he figured his doctor had said something to someone, maybe even Steve, and that he wasn’t allowed to go outside for his own protection while he dealt with his anxieties and threat assessment level.

But then Clint came back from a mission with a broken leg and high on pain medication. Bucky had assumed watch, because he was the only one not out on a mission and Clint tended to disobey doctor’s orders, especially when Wanda and Pietro were involved. So Bucky stayed by his side, watching him while he slept off some of the meds. 

After a few hours, his butt felt like it was nonexistent and he wished that he could recall what the Winter Soldier did when he was surveilling a target for days. He remembered doing mission where he barely moved, but he couldn’t remember how he did it. Once some of the trigger words were gone, so were some of his HYDRA memories. Something he was grateful for. Though this might have been handy information to keep. 

He got up, intending to walk around to get some feeling back in his legs when Clint grunted.

“Nah, bro,” he told him, his eyes drooping. “You can’t… leave. Only one here…” He pointed to his cast and added, “Walking hurts, bro.”

“I can go by myself, Clint,” Bucky had replied. “Just need some fresh air, you starting to smell.”

“Thanks… is rules, you no go alone…” Clint passed out, his head dropping down to his pillow and mouth agape. After making sure Clint still had his hearing aids in, he got a glass of water and left it by the bedside table and took a seat against the wall opposite of Clint’s bed. He didn’t remember the rest of the night.

But Bucky stopped going outside. If anyone noticed, they never said anything to him. They were probably happy not to have to babysit him all the time. He hadn’t been able to look at Steve in the eyes after that. He still joked around with everyone, keeping up appearances, but there was always a voice in his head that wondered if they were actually laughing at his jokes or was it another one of the rules Clint spoke off. 

That had been a few weeks ago. He still attended meetings when they asked him too. It was a good distraction and a good way to keep an eye on everyone, learn their patterns and memorize their weak points as they spoke strategy. 

But today was different. He stepped off the elevator and took a seat near the front; right next to the spot he knew Steve usually sat in. Two minutes later, the Avengers began to filter in.

First, was Clint, carrying a burrito in one hand and a coffee pot in another. Bucky waved at him and got a nod in return, a burrito offered in his direction. Bucky shook his head and signed  _ no thanks _ . Clint’s eyes widened. He scrambled to put his coffee pot – his favourite one, if Bucky recalled correctly – down on the table and to put in his hearing aids, which had been hanging around his neck.

“How’d you know?” he asked pointing to his ears.

“Assassin,” Bucky replied with a shrug, not wanting to bring up the memory.

Clint returned the shrug and said, “Duh. My brain is asleep right now from these boring meetings. More coffee needed.” He pulled out a chair, pushing himself away enough to raise his legs and put them on the table. He took a bite of his burrito before saying, “I’m glad you’re here, ya know. I voted for ya since the beginning. I don’t know you much, no one but Cap does, really, but I’m always on your side.”

“Um, what? Voted for me?” Bucky sat up straight in his chair. “What are you talking about?”

Clint took a bite of his burrito, eyes wide as he chewed. Bucky stared him down but all Clint did was reach for his hearing aids, turning them off and continue eating, ignoring him. He was about to stand and go question him when Natasha sauntered into the room, making a beeline for Clint. Bucky tensed but let the issue go. If Nat was here, that meant that Steve wasn’t too far behind. He would ask Steve what Clint meant. Steve couldn’t lie to Bucky even if the world was on fire and all he had to do to put it out was tell Bucky a lie. It was the eyebrows, his perfectly shaped eyebrows gave him away every time.

For now, he watched as Nat signed something to Clint that had him put down his burrito and insert his aids back in. They both turned to Bucky who immediately looked away, leaving them to their conversation in private, trying not to listen even as his super hearing picked up pieces of the conversation. He heard his name a few times followed by an ‘ow’ from Clint and a ‘shh’ from Natasha.

Steve walked in next, smiling brightly as he took the seat to Bucky’s right, his hand lingering on his shoulder as he greeted him. “Hey, Buck.”

“Hiya, Steve,” Bucky said. “How was getting the shit knocked outta ya?”

Steve chuckled, pulling his hand away and rubbing the back of his neck. “I – who says I didn’t win?”

“Me. I trained her,” Bucky pointed out. “If she can disable my ass without breaking much of a sweat at age fifteen, then she can sure as hell beat your scrawny ass.”

“You think my ass is scrawny?”

“Shuttaup.”

They smiled at each other, their eyes meeting for a long pause. Bucky could see something pass through Steve’s eyes, an emotion he couldn’t yet grasp long enough to read but it was there, blending into the blues and greens of his eyes. Steve looked away first, leaning back on his chair. Bucky swivelled his own around to look at Steve, a comment about his bad posture just on the tip of his tongue.

“You sound jealous, ya know,” Steve said with a smile.

“And what if I am?” Bucky whispered, meeting Steve’s eyes and holding his gaze. “I can kick your ass anyway, punk. She just gets you on your bored days.”

“Is that a challenge I hear, jerk?”

“Bring it on!” Bucky stood up to his full height and looked down at Steve with a wide smile. “I remember when you couldn’t even carry me home drunk.”

Steve stood up too, towering slightly over Bucky in height. Bucky was still wider along the shoulders, his arms and chest more muscled than Steve. They stared at each other, shit eating grins on both their faces.

“I remember you droolin’ an’ tryna to go after a cat cos you thought it was lookin’ at you funny,” Steve said, his Brooklyn accent becoming more pronounced. It tended to happen whenever they started to recall past memories together. Bucky loved it when it happened, this was the Steve he had fallen in love with and not the proper, goody-too-shoes that was Cap.

“Oh, yeah,” Bucky challenged. “Well, I remember having to pick you up and hoist you so you could reach the kitchen cabinets cos someone was to proud to –“

Bucky’s eyes left Steve and took in the room around them. Somewhere along their battle of words, most of the Avengers had come in and taken seats along the table. All eyes were on the two super soldiers who were standing mere inches apart, almost nose-to-nose. Steve turned his head and took a step back from Bucky, running his hand through his hair and chuckling softly.

“By all means, continue, boys,” Natasha said, leaning forward on the table, her green eyes filled with amusement. “I wanna hear the rest of this manhandling story.”

“Bucky didn’t manhandle me-“

“- I totally did and I still could!”

“You wanna bet, jerk?” Steve turned back to Bucky, smile returning to his face. Bucky ignored the looks from everyone and focused on Steve.

He gave Steve his best smirk, watching as his best friend’s pupils widened slightly and leaned in to whisper, “Maybe in private, huh?”

“I, um,” Steve stammered, his breathing becoming shallow as his cheeks pinked. “I-“

“Children! Settle down! The adults are here now, no need to panic,” Tony proclaimed as he entered the room, Sam walking in behind him. “Or, ya know, Sam. We all know he’s the only functional one of us left.”

“Oh, goodie,” Sam said, walking around Steve and Bucky to take a seat next to Natasha. He leaned in and asked her, “What’s going on?”

“James is about to manhandle Steve,” she told him.

“There is to be no manhandling today, Natasha,” Steve said in his Captain America voice. He cleared his throat and motioned for Bucky to take a seat.

Bucky paused for a second, fearing that he’d gone too far in front of Steve’s friends. But as he sat down, Steve followed, throwing his left arm over Bucky’s seat, his hand grazing the back of his neck. Bucky smiled to himself before leaning into the touch, moving his chair closer to Steve. He didn’t dare look at the rest of the team as Tony cleared his throat.

“So…” Tony began. “It’s been two months since we started meeting up here and it’s been two months since Cap put a motion on the table, or board, or whatever. It took two months to convince everyone on my end, and two months to get things rolling but… I guess, if this is what we gotta do then we gotta do it. So how about one last vote?”

“Vote?” Bucky asked, the hand on his neck stopping. He turned to Steve and asked, “Why am I here, Stevie?”

Steve pulled his hand away, leaving Bucky feeling cold. “You’ll see.”

“Well, since Cap won’t fill in his bro-sicle about this, let me do it,” Tony turned to Bucky. “We’ve been watching you for the last few weeks, seeing how you adapted to living here with us. We set rules and restrained your access to the outside and a few other things you probably didn’t even notice. It was wrong, I voted against it but, and I don’t say this to just anyone, Barnes, but you did well. Real well actually, so how about I just call for a vote. All in favour of having James Buchannan Barnes, AKA Bucky Barnes, AKA The Winter Soldier, AKA Captain’s boo, join the Avengers raise your hand.”

Bucky leaned forward, eyes widening as he saw Clint’s hand go up first. 

Then Wanda’s and Pietro’s after a elbow to the gut from his sister. 

Vision hesitated, his eyes calculating something that only he could see, but he eventually put his hand up too. 

Rhodey shook his head with a smile and put his elbow on the table, two fingers extended. 

Sam arched an eyebrow, muttering something under his breath before he too raised his hand. 

Natasha’s hand was next, her eyes daring him to betray her trust once more. 

Tony leaned forward on the desk, gripping at the table with a strong grip. Bucky almost expected not to see his hand up, not after everything he had taken from the Stark family. Something tugged at his heart when Tony looked up, meeting Bucky’s eyes and raised his left hand. Tony nodded and Bucky made himself promise to get to know the man whose parents he had betrayed. 

Bucky nodded back and then turned to his right to Steve, who licked his lower lip and met his eyes. Steve’s right hand rose slowly. Bucky’s heart beat rapidly, blood rushing behind his ears as he stared into Steve’s blue eyes. Was this really happening? Or was it another dream? Had he even come out of cryo yet? Was this another HYDRA trick designed to make him believe he could be accepted? That he could be happy?  _ God, I hope it’s not. _

“Alrighty,” Tony declared as everyone put their hands down. “A few people are missing but they wouldn’t matter anyway.”

“Whatcha say, Buck?” Steve asked, a twinkle in his eyes.  “Ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?" 

Bucky chuckled and recalled the words he had said all those years ago. "Hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn that was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him."

Steve smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling at their side. “Welcome home, Buck.”

“Well, let’s get on with it, huh?” Tony said and started to walk around the room. “We’ve got a situation in Hell’s Kitchen…”

But Bucky wasn’t listening. As both super soldiers turned away from each other, Steve pushed his chair closer to Bucky and leaned back on it. He put his arm around the back of Bucky’s chair, his fingers making circles on Bucky’s back. 

So yeah, if it wasn’t so inappropriate, Bucky would tackle Steve to the ground and kiss him like his life depended on it, surprise him the way Steve has surprised him. But they weren’t alone, Tony was making gestures with his arms while Nat and Clint rolled their eyes. And Steve and Bucky’s relationship wasn’t fixed yet, maybe a little patched up. They still had things to work out, lots of things to talk about, lots of feelings to explore, lots of adventures to go one, fights to fight and bad guys to stop. 

Bucky gave Steve a warm smile and thought  _ I’m finally home. _

 


End file.
